Time to straighten up!
July 21 - Grand Blade Trial
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Edition
Razor - Feather SS
Blade -
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(1)
Soap - Route 66 Bourbon Jungle
Brush - 30DC LE
Post - Alum
I discovered a new to me Feather blade a couple weeks ago. The Feather Pro Soft Guard. Now, I've used the Pro Guard, which is a pro blade with a guard on it, as well as the Kai Mild Guard blade. The guards can be a good choice when learning the pain stick or just to minimize the risk of a severed artery if you so choose. But the Soft Guard, in its glorious pink dispenser, was a new item for me. After some research it would appear that it is designed to minimize the risk of cuts as well as provide a smoother feel, or at least to remove the feeling that you're one mistake away from a cut. The Feather AC blades, especially Super Pro, can be harsh.
I tried to get a picture to show the guard on the blade and this is the best I could get.
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You can see the extra guard plate on the blade and the serrations along the edge. The extended "bumps" are actually a guard that extends to the edge. Thanks to Connaught Shaving I did find a good illustration.
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Now, you may be asking if the Soft Guard is simply a repackaged Pro Guard. The answer is no. Here's a picture of the Pro Guard.
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So, the Soft Guard is a unique blade possibly designed for use by women - the pink dispenser could be the key there.
It is worth mentioning that Feather also makes the Pro Light blade which is designed to minimize exposure for women's shaving or those with sensitive skin. I've never tried the Pro Light as it has a very mild reputation that some call ineffectual. I'm sure those of you who know me well know, though, that I'll be getting a couple of those in, as well as some Pro Guards and Kai Guards to do a complete comparison now that this new blade has shown up. Such is the life of the Blade Czar.
Now, on to the actual shave. I chose Route 66 Bourbon Jungle for the soap. I had nearly forgotten I still have a partial sample of this soap so used the LE brush to whip up a very fine lather. Incredibly slick and very nice scent. The blade is very forgiving. Very. Yet, it cuts well enough to be a Feather. Its most forgiving moment occurred when I got a bit over confident and set it down for a stroke vertically. I mean straight down. With a bit of pressure. Do that with a Pro or Super Pro and you're booking plastic surgery. With the Soft Guard - nothing. Thank you. That could have been vicious.
I did two full passes with a touch up pass on my neck and around my goatee. Very comfortable and smooth if a bit less of a finish that I'm used to. I finished with a barely DFS. It's good enough, but a Pro blade would have me at high DFS or BBS. I did discover one small weeper near my goatee on the left jaw but I worked that particular area pretty hard at one point so that's a technique problem.
My impression overall is that this blade would be great for a newbie pain stick user. It commands respect for what it is, but the guard clearly provides a lot of protection against stupid handling errors. Almost makes me wish I had found it when I was learning!
I'll continue on with this blade for a couple more days. See if I can get to the baby with it without raising irritation which, by the way, was quite light. No problems there. For those who aren't familiar with all of the Feather AC blades here is a handy comparison chart, minus the Soft Guard. Have a great weekend!
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